Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot: Program History, Closed Pathways & Current Alternatives
Canada's federal caregiver PR pilots — Home Child Care Provider, Home Support Worker, Live-in Caregiver, and Home Care Worker — are all closed to new applicants in 2026.
All pilots closed
N/A — closed
Permanent (for approved)
All Caregiver Immigration Pilots ended on various dates through 2024-2025
Every federal caregiver-specific PR pilot is closed to new applicants in 2026. The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot closed on June 17, 2024. The 2025 Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots that replaced them are also currently closed. The older Live-in Caregiver Program closed in 2014.
Already applied? IRCC continues to process complete applications received before each program's respective closing date. Sign in to your Permanent Residence Portal account to check status.
Currently open pathways to Canadian permanent residence
These programs remain active in 2026 and may suit applicants who were considering All Caregiver Immigration Pilots.
Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry)
For skilled workers in Canada with 1 year of TEER 0-3 experience, including many care-sector roles.
Provincial Nominee Program
Several provinces operate caregiver, health, and home-care nominee streams.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Community-endorsed PR pathway open to caregiving occupations in designated rural communities.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Employer-driven PR pathway in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot is an umbrella term covering a series of federal pilot programs that let qualified home child care providers and home support workers become permanent residents. The two longest-running pilots — Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot — ran for 5 years and ended on June 17, 2024. The successor Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots that launched in 2025 are also currently closed, and earlier pilots such as the Live-in Caregiver Program, Caring for Children Pilot, and Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pilot closed years earlier.
As of 2026, IRCC has no open federal caregiver-specific permanent residence pathway. Applications received before each program's respective closing date continue to be processed under the original rules. Caregivers and home support workers currently in Canada or considering the field should review the Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Programs with caregiver streams, and Rural Community Immigration Pilot as the open alternatives in 2026. This hub documents each historical pilot for applicants with in-flight files and researchers mapping Canada's caregiver immigration policy.
Eligibility
Who can apply for Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot?
- Applicants who worked full-time in Canada as a Home Child Care Provider (NOC 44100) or Home Support Worker (NOC 44101) under one of the closed pilots
- Caregivers who entered under the Gaining Experience category to accumulate qualifying Canadian work experience and later submit proof for PR consideration
- Caregivers who applied under the Direct to Permanent Residence category with sufficient full-time Canadian caregiving work experience at the time of application
- Former Live-in Caregiver Program participants who received their work permit based on an LMIA submitted before December 2014
- Applicants from the earlier Caring for Children, Caring for People with High Medical Needs, or Interim Pathway for Caregivers programs whose applications were submitted before their respective closing dates
- Accompanying spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children of qualifying caregiver applicants
These categories describe who could have applied historically under each pilot. No new applications are currently being accepted under any federal caregiver-specific program.
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Requirements
What are the requirements and key details of Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot?
- Current Status: All federal caregiver pilots are closed to new applications as of 2026. IRCC continues to process applications received before each program's closing date.
- Home Child Care Provider Pilot: 5-year pilot; closed June 17, 2024; NOC 44100
- Home Support Worker Pilot: 5-year pilot; closed June 17, 2024; NOC 44101
- Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (2025 successor): Launched 2025; currently closed to new applicants on both PR pathway and employer-hiring pathway
- Live-in Caregiver Program: Closed since 2014; only applicants with pre-December 2014 LMIA-based work permits still eligible for PR
- Caring for Children Pilot: Closed June 17, 2019
- Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pilot: Closed June 17, 2019
- Interim Pathway for Caregivers: Closed October 8, 2019
- Eligible NOC Codes (historical): NOC 44100 (Home Child Care Provider), NOC 44101 (Home Support Worker / Caregiver)
- Application Categories (HCCP/HSWP): Gaining Experience category (accumulate 12 months Canadian caregiving work) and Direct to Permanent Residence category (already had qualifying experience)
- Qualifying Work Experience (historical): At least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience as a Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker within the eligible pilot window
- Language Requirement (historical): CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all four abilities (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
- Education Requirement (historical): Canadian post-secondary credential of at least 1 year, OR foreign equivalent with ECA
- Job Offer Requirement (historical, Home Care Worker Immigration pilots): Full-time job offer in home care required under the 2025 successor pilots
- Federal Government Fee (historical): CAD 950 processing + CAD 575 RPRF per adult; CAD 260 per dependent child (rates in effect before closure)
- Biometrics Fee (historical): CAD 85 individual; CAD 170 family
- Leads to PR: Yes (pilots were direct or staged PR pathways for qualifying caregivers)
- Leads to Citizenship: Yes (3 years of physical presence in 5 years after PR)
- Spouse Open Work Permit: Yes, available to qualifying caregivers under the closed pilots during processing
- Official Source URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/caregivers.html
Documents
What are the documents required for Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot?
- Valid passport and travel documents for the principal applicant and all accompanying family members
- Full-time job offer letter from a Canadian employer in a qualifying caregiver occupation (NOC 44100 Home Child Care Provider, NOC 44101 Home Support Worker, or earlier equivalent), outside Quebec, for the pilot under which the application was submitted
- Employer reference letters confirming the role, duties performed in a private home, hours worked, and dates of employment
- T4 slips, pay stubs, and Notice of Assessment covering the 12 months (HCCP/HSWP/Home Care Worker pilots) or 24 months (LCP, Caring for Children, Caring for People with High Medical Needs) of qualifying full-time Canadian work experience
- Work permit and any subsequent extensions covering the qualifying experience period (Gaining Experience category required maintained status throughout)
- Original LMIA-based work permit submitted before December 2014 (Live-in Caregiver Program applicants only)
- Language test results (IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada) demonstrating CLB 5 / NCLC 5 in all four abilities, less than 2 years old at the time of original application
- Canadian post-secondary credential of at least 1 year, OR foreign educational credential with an ECA report from a designated organization (less than 5 years old)
- Proof of legal status in Canada throughout the qualifying work experience period (Gaining Experience and current in-Canada applicants)
- Medical examination results from an IRCC-approved panel physician
- Police clearance certificates from every country where the applicant lived for 6+ months since age 18
- Biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) collected at a designated visa application centre
- Proof of relationship for accompanying spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children (marriage certificate, long-form birth certificates, custody documents)
- Receipts for federal application fees (CAD 950 processing + CAD 575 RPRF per adult, CAD 260 per dependent child) and biometrics fees (CAD 85 individual / CAD 170 family) at the rates in effect when the application was submitted
Application Process
History of Canada's Caregiver Immigration Pilots
Live-in Caregiver Program (pre-2014)
For decades, the Live-in Caregiver Program let foreign caregivers work in Canadian homes and apply for PR after 24 months or 3,900 hours of full-time work. The program closed to new applicants in November 2014. Only caregivers with LMIA-based work permits submitted before December 2014 can still apply for PR under this pathway.
Caring for Children and High Medical Needs Pilots (2014-2019)
IRCC launched two 5-year pilots in 2014 to replace the Live-in Caregiver Program: Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs. Both pilots required Canadian post-secondary education, CLB 5 language, and 24 months of full-time Canadian caregiving work experience before submitting PR applications. Both pilots closed to new applicants on June 17, 2019.
Interim Pathway for Caregivers (2019)
A short-lived 2019 pathway reopened for caregivers who came to Canada under ineligible work permits. Open for approximately 3 months, it closed on October 8, 2019 and no longer accepts applications.
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot (2019-2024)
These two 5-year pilots launched in 2019 with two application categories: a Gaining Experience category for caregivers who needed to accumulate 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience, and a Direct to Permanent Residence category for those who already had it. Both pilots closed to new applicants on June 17, 2024. In-flight applications continue to be processed.
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (2025, launched then closed)
IRCC launched two successor pilots in 2025: one for home child care providers and one for home support workers. Both required a full-time home care job offer and Canadian work experience. The pilots closed to new applicants shortly after launch due to demand; IRCC indicated further updates would follow. Employer hiring under these pilots is also currently closed.
In-Flight Application Processing (2026)
IRCC continues to process applications submitted before each program's closing date. Applicants should sign in to their Permanent Residence Portal account, keep contact information current, and respond promptly to IRCC requests for additional documents, biometrics, or medical examinations.
Plan Around Open Pathways (2026)
With no open federal caregiver-specific PR pathway in 2026, caregivers in Canada should look at the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry (1 year of TEER 0-3 Canadian experience), PNP caregiver streams (several provinces still run health and home-care streams), and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot for designated rural employers who hire in caregiving occupations.
Canada's caregiver immigration policy has gone through multiple pilot cycles over the past decade. Each pilot addressed gaps in the previous program — from the Live-in Caregiver rule that required cohabitation with the employer, to the HCCP/HSWP pilots that separated work permit from PR application, to the 2025 Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots that introduced direct PR with occupation-linked caps. All are currently closed to new applicants.
If you are a caregiver with an in-flight application under any of these programs, IRCC will continue processing under the original rules. If you are exploring caregiver immigration in 2026, monitor canada.ca/caregivers for any announcement of new pilot intake and review the Canadian Experience Class and provincial nominee streams as current open pathways.
For detailed insights on eligibility, document checklist, visa validity, and common refusal reasons, explore PR Visa FAQs guide to know the answers of all your questions.
Related Resources
Explore more about Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot
Looking for a currently open PR pathway for caregivers?
Review Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program caregiver streams, and Rural Community Immigration Pilot.